1) Is GM in comparison to other online forums, or games more lenient or strict?

2) If any user agreed to a code of conduct on installing and using any online game, should they get 2nd, 3rd, 4th chances to change their ways? ie. how many times should we allow them to be abusive to others before it is too many times?

3) If you went to a paid website/game where moderators did set hours and paid to work, would you be as likely to challenge their decisions and work. Or tell them how and when to do their job?

4) If GM was not GM but Hasbro monopoly, how stricter code of conduct and removal of unpleasant players do you imagine they would be and how likely would they be inform all when a player is removed?

5) How much foul language in the lobby and games is acceptable?

6) How acceptable is it for a player to experience unacceptable behaviour during their visit to GM? Would this player be angry to of experienced abuse knowing the player had been abusive before?

7) Now question 1 again. Is GM in comparison to other online forums, or games more lenient or strict?

7. The only other forum I use regularly is CiF at the Guardian. A bit of swearing is allowed there but not abuse, and the main point of that forum is to discuss politics/sport/whatever interests you so people disagree with each other quite strongly in pretty much every thread.

In terms of other online games those I have played some are more strict some are less strict - I haven't played enough to have an overall idea of what is average.

Are we just discussing 7 for now?

Last edited by MrCrabbs on Wed Apr 15, 2009 4:19 pm; edited 1 time in total

1. we are very lenient in comparison.
2. i feel like, in general, people would get less chances. generally in online games like this, there is a strict policy of the number of offenses, and then the player is gone completely after that number is met (generally 2 or 3). on here, i think we can be that strict if a player is just being an idiot on purpose, but demonstrate mercy on a case by case basis. because we are lenient, we give people more chances to mature and bring general enjoyment to the game and the community as a whole.
3. definitely no. that is pretty clear. paid moderators would take no crap, and players would realize that they could not be so whinny and challenging all the time.
4. refer to my answer to #2. it would be much stricter. in terms of informing everyone, i do not know.
5. personal attacks, or any sort of racial or sexual insulting should never be allowed. as for cursing, there can be a little bit of leniency, but only if it is handled responsibly without getting out of hand.
6. i think it is entirely unacceptable. the last thing we want new players to see is rampant unacceptable behavior. i don't understand the wording of the second part.
7. by far more lenient.

i think this leniency is very important to the game of GM. GM has a strong community. by far, most of the players enjoy coming on to GM and playing games with familiar people, having good conversations, catching up on people's lives, etc. if this game became some sort of dictatorship or an authoritarian system, then a lot of the fun would be sucked out of the game._________________if seeing is believing, then believe that we have lost our eyes

Although I do think this game is more lenient than most games, I would say that the main objective here should not be to have a laxed system or a lenient one. I think the fact that is lenient is because it is a neccesity to the game of GM itself. We have a small fanbase and so we should do the best we can to make this a community of people. If you play a game like World of Warcraft you will see that it is not a community, but a community of thousands of little communities. The overriding "moderators" on the game are not lenient at all. If they catch abusing you get warned once and then you are banned from the game for like a month and mind you that you PAY for this game. If they catch you cheating they ban you for life most of the time. I have seen people who have put in 200+ hours to the game and they were caught buying gold which is cheating and they got their account removed and it oculd never be taken back.

Anyway my point is that the reason this is a lenient game compared to most is that it is that way because it is relatively small. Communities are forgiving, but carry out needed justice in order to keep the community happy.

This game has a very dense ratio of intellectuals that do not desire foolish play or talk, so I think that the way mods have handled the situations of cheating and cursing have been pleasing to the vast majority of the people of GM. I would say some of the decisions may have been a bit harsh, but that is rare and I think there has been a great leniency from Bill and Trace especially to hear out other opinions. Bill has even changed and/or acted upon some of the opinions you guys have expressed.

I hope you all realize that.

Leadership should be self-perfecting in that they are constantly trying to get better, cut us some slack and I am sure you guys will see the benefits from it. Keep expressing your opinions, but just do so constructively if at all possible._________________If you're in a war, instead of throwing a hand grenade at the enemy, throw one of those small pumpkins. Maybe it'll make everyone think how stupid war is, and while they are thinking, you can throw a real grenade at them.

Anyway my point is that the reason this is a lenient game compared to most is that it is that way because it is relatively small. Communities are forgiving, but carry out needed justice in order to keep the community happy.

I totally agree, in fact I almost included that point in my own post but removed it for brevity's sake.

We can afford to hear players out because GM is a relatively small game, but the same would not be true if it were 100 times bigger.

Also, to address trace's question of whether paid mods would have to justify their decisions, or suffer the indignity of being questioned, I have some thoughts. Mods would only be paid if GM was bigger and made large profits. The reason mods would then be likely to have totalitarian powers is that it would keep the game owners' wage bill down, because fewer mod-hours would be needed to deal with the same number of complaints.

One very positive side effect of mods not being paid is that they do it for love of the game, and hence decisions get the game-pleasure-maximising level of attention, which is far higher than the level of attention they would get in a profit maximising, paid mods scenario.

One very positive side effect of mods not being paid is that they do it for love of the game, and hence decisions get the game-pleasure-maximising level of attention, which is far higher than the level of attention they would get in a profit maximising, paid mods scenario.

Very true crabbs, most important thing I have seen come from this.

We all do need to realize that IN NO WAY do any of the mods do this for profit. I think it is possible there may be some ego feeding going on in GM's present and past, but I think that even if that is true it is not so bad since the ego is centered around the love for the game. If the mods were getting payed none of the work would be done to benefit the community as a whole, rather done out of effeciency.

Keeping that in mind we must make sure, as Crabbs states, that all mods are trying their hardest out of their love for the game. If a mod gets burned out, which is inevitable, I think that is when decisions start being made that are only made for efficiency. Its not that we shuold look down on those mods, rather say that maybe they need to carry on with other passions since their passion for GM has decreased for whatever reason.

However, we do need to keep in mind that all mods are doing this out of dedication to a extracurricular passion, and in that we should respect them for it. I am not saying submitting to every decision hands down, I am just saying that respect is certainly deserved and that keeping in mind that they deserve A LOT of leeway compared to other mods who are being payed in other games.

Thanks crabbs._________________If you're in a war, instead of throwing a hand grenade at the enemy, throw one of those small pumpkins. Maybe it'll make everyone think how stupid war is, and while they are thinking, you can throw a real grenade at them.

Well,i dont like to talk too much i will reply in few words strictly to every point.

1.Very lenient
2.It is enough just one chance.
3.No for sure, mods decision should be respected and not discussed in the way like is happening here.
4.I think very stricter
5.Agree with palabra
6.Not acceptable at all.
7.Very lenient_________________CARPE DIEM....

Our greatest glory is not in never falling,but in rising every time we fall...(Confucius)